10 Years Post Prior
by zainreads
Summary: 10 years after Tris passed initiation with no war. But the strange new initiates might change that. With Four trying to balance training what might be the largest batch of Divergents yet and supporting his family while Tris takes time off to take care of their sick son, who knows what might trigger the inevitable war?
1. Barefoot

Athena POV

"Athena Matthews" Jeanine Matthews's voice rang out. I bit my lip and gulped, leaving the side of my friends to join her. I reached her side and took the knife from her, noticing the protruding veins on her hand and taking a glance at my mother's face. It was caked with makeup in a failed attempt to make her look youthful. Her once golden blonde hair was now thin from the dying and faintly streaked with gray mother desperately tried to hide.

My mother is very old. No matter how much she adorned her face with false lashes or Botox. I never understood why she tried so hard to appear youthful.

But no matter how old mother might be, the calculative coldness remained in her steely eyes.

But I shouldn't be thinking of my mother's unloving nature now. I gripped the knife and held out my wrist, which was lined with blue and purple veins which have popped out because of the various experimenting that I have suffered.

I set my mouth in a firm line. No more. No more experimenting. No more bullshit about the 'greater good'. I don't want to live my life in Erudite. But still, my hand hovered over the bowl of pink water which has been previously stained by others's blood.

I looked back at my mother, who smiled at me. To anyone her smile might have looked indifferent, but I know she is urging me to choose 'the right choice' as she put it.

I but my lip and sliced into my wrist, blood pooling out. I squeezed my eyes shut and jerked my wrist to the bowl of coals, herring my blood sizzle as it hit the burning coals.

I bit my lip hard. I will not feel sorry. I will not regret this. I have escaped the testing. The torture. The simulations. Or at least, I hope.

I could hear whooping and cheering somewhere in the back of my mind, which woke me from my daze of relief. I walked quickly to the group of dauntless, laughing softly as welcoming pats on the back where given to me.

Somewhere inside me, I found the courage to look back at my mother, who's mouth was set in a firm line. She straightened her back and continued with the names, pretending that her 'beloved' daughter has not just transferred to another faction.

I fell back against a wall, my head still feeling light, and let out a small laugh of relief. I'm free. I'm finally free.

I was awaken from my daydream when I felt a hand against my arm, pulling me through the Dauntless tide. I looked around, alarmed and surprised to see the other Dauntless, I looked beside me to see a boy, a little taller than me despite me wearing heels, with determination shining through his dark blue eyes and brown wavy hair dropping over his eyes and tan skin. Handsome.

"Try to keep up will you, Nose?" He growled at me, letting go off my arm and racing ahead of the crowd. I gulped in shock, before pressing my lips and continuing running up the stairs, gripping onto the railing in desperation to gasp my breath.

I was one of the last to emerge, huffing and pressing my hand to my stomach and bending over, trying to steady my breath. My feet ached from the touch heels on my feet.

"Not real big on the physical shit, are ya, Nose?" A deep voice chuckled, I looked up to see the boy from earlier. His clothes were peculiar, blue jeans, red shirt, gray jacket.

Factionless.

A couple of years ago, the Abnegation passed a law that children born Factionless would have the right to choose on Choosing Day.

"I didn't ask for your help" I shot back "back there, in the hall…" I continued awkwardly. This is what happens when my mother keeps me locked away from socialization for 16 years.

He raised an eyebrow at me before narrowing his eyes at me "Whatever" he huffed, straightening his back and looking around the pavement.

I leaned against the building, carefully picking my heels off my red feet and trying to decide if it was worth getting my feet pricked rather that blister.

"THEY'RE JUMPING" I heard a high pitched voice scream. I looked up to see the Dauntless-born jumping onto the train, whooping and laughing, occasionally sticking their heads out to laugh at the ones left.

Well, that rules out the heels


	2. A smile, a grin, a missing tooth

Tris POV

"You know" I said, locking the door behind me securely, ignoring the constant banging and dramatical groaning "I have a feeling that this year's initiates are going to be an interesting bunch"

Tobias looked up at me, placing the breakfast he brought from the cafeteria on the island in the kitchen. His eyes flickered to the door me and filled with guilt. I rolled mine.

"What makes you think that?" He asks, as I sit next to him and pull my plate in front of me while placing the third plate in a stove to keep the food from cooling.

"Gut feeling, I guess. Plus its Acker and Stein's year, you know how those two can be" I replied, placing the omelet in my mouth and looking around the room, avoiding the cursed door.

Tobias shrugged and nodded, his eyes still glued to the goddamn door. I sighed. "For goodness sakes Tobias, if I don't lock the door you know he's gonna keep running around and wasting his energy"

"WELL THEN I'M JUST GONNA KEEP WUNNING IN M-M-MY W-OO-ACHOO!" I heard a high pitched voice protest.

"GO TO SLEEP, EREN!" I screamed towards the door.

"N-N-NEVEW!" He retorted, ending with a cough. I sighed.

"EREN THE DOCTOR SAID IF YOU DON'T GET REST YOU WON'T GET BETTER" I explained to him.

"I CAN GET BETTEW WITHOUT SLEEPING!" He screeched back while Tobias watched our exchanging, eyebrows up in amusement and one corner of his mouth flickering upwards.

I groaned and placed my head on the table before looking up and giving my husband a 'you-see-what-I-mean?' look. He shook his head, chucking softly before shrugging at me.

"He's your kid" he pointed out.

"He's yours too!" I said defensively, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring up at him. "I bet that's where he got all his anger issues from!"

He raised an eyebrow, "Really? You spent 5 minutes arguing with him through a door and think I have anger issues?"

I shot him a glare, placing my now-empty plate in the dishwasher before crashing down on the couch.

"Who knew having a kid would be so hard?" I groaned, even though Eren is one of the happiest and best things that ever happened to me.

"Maybe it's not all kids, just ours" Tobias joked along.

"I CAN HEAW YOU YOU KNOW!" I heard Eren screech again. I sighed again, before smiling at Tobias, who climbed on top of me, I giggled and placed my lips next to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"YOU TWO BETTEW NOT BE DOING ADULT STUFF WHILE IM DYING"

I moaned and slipped out of Tobias's limb cage, ignoring him as he slumped onto the couch in despair. I twisted the key outside Eren's bedroom and opened the door, just in time for him to whizz out his room giggling and coughing, his dark hair unruly and messy beyond belief, his eyebrows almost always furrowed to give the impression that he is always angry (which in most times is true), and his usually tan skin pale from the recent flu. Yet he still looked energetic and had the same shit-eating teeth-baring grin gracing his rounded face.

"YOU'LL NEVEW CATCH ME!" He laughed, immediately jumping on the couch in which Tobias was sitting on and hiding behind his father's back, sneezing. Tobias laughed and picked him up, placing him on his shoulders and walking over back to his room. I trailed behind them, smiling.

Tobias bent over, letting Eren fall over onto his Spider-Man covers, giggling and coughing as Tobias tickled him until his giggling dissolved and he started choking more. Tobias ruffled his brown hair and looked him in the eye.

"Listen to your mom. Kay? You don't wanna keep coughing, right? If you stay sick, then Acker won't come visit you." Eren nodded furiously, immediately diving under the covers. I groaned in disbelief.

"That's all that you had to do?" I exclaimed, exiting the room with Tobias. He shrugged.

"Kid loves his babysitter. Babysitter hates germs" he explained. I nodded.

Acker is Amar and George's adopted son, originally factionless before they took him in. A short boy, only a mere 2 inches taller than my 5 feet, who is one of Dauntless's finest, curtesy to his fathers who had been training him since he was adopted at the age of 5 11 years ago, and with severe OCD. He fainted last time Eren attempted to cook and spent 3 hours cleaning the mini kitchen until it was spotless.

Cold, quiet and stoic since he was adopted and now living with Tori after his parents went missing. First George, 18 months ago, and then Amar, 6 months ago.

"Speaking of kids and germs…" I started nervously, leaning back onto the counter. "The hospital doesn't have medicine for Eren. Apparently he has a rare fever thing, only Erudite have the medication. I'm going to have to go get it there"

Tobias narrowed his eyes at me, before shaking his head sternly. "No" he said. I glared at him, anger boiling up. 5 years back, Erudite became strictly divergent-free, killing off anyone suspected to be divergent, or even any divergent visiting.

"No?"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Tobias I'm going" I insisted, growling. He glared back at me.

"No you're not, not alone" he said.

"Well I can't go with you, the initiates are arriving in an hour and you have a job" I pointed out.

He shook his head "It's too risky"

"I'm dauntless, I'm supposed to take risks" I exclaimed, he suddenly gripped my shoulder and pulled me in front of him, forcing me to look at him.

"Not risks that'll get you killed, Tris!" He growled "I don't understand why you won't understand that"

"Then what am I supposed to do? I need Eren's medication!" I exclaimed back. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I promise, it's just gonna be in-and-out. I just need to buy his medicines"

"I'm thinking" he said, pressing his hands to the sides of his head and clenching his eyes closed, before leaning back against the counter. "Take Acker with you" he said finally.

"Huh?"

"Take Acker"

"Acker has initiation"

"He finished at 6, you two can catch the 6:30 train"

"Why Acker?"

Tobias sighed "Acker's divergent" he revealed. "Amar and George knew that since he was young. They trained him to hide every single aspect of it. If you run into any trouble, Acker can help cover you"

I bit my lip. I could just bring Uriah of Chris with me, but that would be selfish since they have their own families to take care of. But then again, Acker's only 16.

"Okay" I said, nodding. I glanced up at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall, my eyes widening.

"The initiates!" I exclaimed, looking back at Tobias, wide eyed. His eyes widened and he grabbed his leather jacket, quickly pressing a kiss to my lips before rushing out the apartment. I laughed softly and shook my head, before filling up a bowl with cold water and a wet tower and heading back to Eren's room to check up on him, even though it's only been 10 minutes.

"Hey honey" I whispered to him, noticing him muffling his coughs by burying his head in his pillows. I sat next to him on the side of the bed, gently stroking his hair as he coughed hysterically and sniffed, his grey eyes bloodshot from the excessive coughing and sneezing.

"You're gonna be okay, okay?" I whispered down at him. "Everybody gets a fever. We just need to get some medicine for you and you'll be fine. Okay?" He coughed again.

"I'm fine" he replied stubbornly. I smiled.

"I'm sure you are" I replied, placing the wet towel on his towel. Eren pouted and looked away, refusing to accept the assistance.

Wow he really is my kid.

"Take it easy, Kay?" I said, before exiting the room, hearing him mutter. I turned to face him.

"Huh?" I asked him, not hearing what he said.

"Love ya" he said hurriedly, before hiding under the covers and fake coughing to ease the tension in his mind, soon turning into real coughing.

"Love you too, Er"

I sat back on the couch, sipping on the cup of cold coffee Tobias made earlier and debating if I should microwave it.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

"What is it, Eren?"

"I WANNA SEE THE INITIATES JUUUMPIIIIIING"

"You're sick you'll get everyone infected"

"I WOOOOOOON'T"

"Eren, no"

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

Sigh.

I opened the door to see my son looking up at me expectantly, he reached up and clutched the hem of my shirt.

"PLEEEAAAAAAASE?"

Another sigh.

"Just go change. I can't take you while you're wearing SpongeBob"

He smiles.

He grins.

He had missing tooth.

"THANK YOOOUUUUUU!" He exclaimed, hugging my thighs. I laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Just don't to too close to anyone, okay?"

He nodded enthusiastically, before pushing me off and running to his closet, pulling out a black graphic tee with the hulk on it and black cargo pants. He hurriedly put on his pants and brought me the tee.

"Arms up" I instructed. He threw his arms above his head as I pulled his shirt down and licked my hands, running them through his unruly hair in a hopeless attempt to make him look presentable.

"LET'S GOOOOOO" he exclaimed, shaking his head and returning his hair to it's normal state with his bangs falling naturally into a middle-parted curtain-type style while the rest of his hair defied gravity. He grabbed my hand (really just my pinkie and ring finger) and dragged me through Dauntless until he reached the net, where at least 1/2 of Dauntless we already crowded. His bright grey blue eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on his father, who stood next to Zachary, the trainer for the Dauntless borns, with a stoic expression on his face.

"DADDY!" Eren exclaimed happily, Tobias's eyes flickered to our direction for a moment, giving us a smirk, before returning to his trainer 'Four' self.

I turned around, looking for Christina, before spotting her holding her daughter May-Rin while her older daughter, Ymir, stood next to her. I waved at her as I walked over, lifting Eren up into my arms.

"You don't look good" I said, noticing the half-moons under her eyes and hastily put in eyeliner.

She gave me a tired smile "Wow, thanks, that's just what a girl wants to hear. You know exactly how to make me feel better" she commented, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm just saying, it isn't common to see the great Christina Nelly with no makeup"

"I'm married, I don't need to look good for anyone now. I'm perfect with and without makeup and all the men in this compound should feel blessed that they are able to witness my concentrated extra beauty when I'm wearing makeup" She bragged, flipping her short hair. Ymir rolled her eyes and I laughed.

Our heads snapped towards the net as the cafeteria quieted down. I saw Tobias grin at Amar before lowered the net.

A boy slid out. He has short, straight black hair styled in an undercut and narrow, angular grey eyes. His face was small and angular, and his 5'3 stature small but muscular.

Acker.

"FIRST JUMPED, ACK-" he got cut off by two initiates falling down at the same time, the female screaming and clutching onto the boy.

Acker rolled his eyes and trudged onto the side, looking at the two who looked like they were wrestling each other in the net.

"Break it up" Tobias boomed, pulling them both out the net. "What're your names?" He glared at them.

The boy, Factionless, glared back. "Theo" he replied

"Athena" the Erudite girl squeaked out. Tobias rolled his eyes and pushed them towards where Acker was standing. I noticed the boy, Theo, snicker at Acker, looking him up and down as if he were prey. Acker's face remained stoic, but I knew him enough to notice his eyes narrow dangerously.

Theo should watch out.

12 more people fell down as people started to slowly disperse. 18 in total. I heard that it used to be 20 people. 8 more to go. My eyes searched the Dauntless to see if I recognize anyone else.

I recognize Stein, Acker's close friend and rival, probably the most competition against him, since even though Acker is significantly strong and smart, Stein has a hint of madness and more intelligence in him, they are the most closely matched.

I recognize Spirit, a womanizer and Stein's best friend and sometimes helps with babysitting Rin for his love for kids, the only one who can calm down the madness. The rest are 6 casuals I see every once in a while but never really stick.

The transfers are interesting. The 2 who jumped together and appeared to be fighting definitely stood out, occasionally sending glares at each other. There was something weird about the Theo kid. The factionless kids tend to stay away from Dauntless due to the high risk of failing and ending up where they started. Plus there was something peculiar about his blue eyes. They seemed familiar. But his aura seemed almost sadistic, in an Eric or Peter type of way.

The girl, Athena, was already infamous. She was Jeanine Matthews's daughter, her entire existence stood out, even though she seemed to be trying to blend in and hide. She stood with 2 Candor girls, even though she looked like she didn't want to be with them.

"Mom, do we go now?" I looked down to see Eren, looking up at me. I smile down at him and nodded, I've been so focused on studying the new initiates I didn't notice that most of the people left.

"Yep. Let's let daddy do his job"


End file.
